This invention relates generally to farm implements and more particularly to a frame which mounts a bucket or other implement on a three-point tractor hitch.
Front end loaders have long been used on farms to handle various types of materials such as dirt, ensilage and manure. However, the front end loader is a specialized machine having a cost that is often prohibitive. Various arrangements have also been proposed for mounting buckets on the front end of a tractor in order to provide the tractor with material handling capability. Mounting of the bucket on the front of a tractor requires the permanent addition of a suitable frame and other complex components to the tractor, and this is undesirable due both to the resulting cost increase and to the added complexity. When heavy loads are being handled, the stability of front mounted buckets is somewhat lacking, and overturning of the tractor and other serious safety problems are possible.
The drawbacks associated with front end loaders and front mounted buckets have long been recognized, and there have been attempts made to attach buckets and similar implements to the three-point hitch commonly located on the back end of a tractor. Examples of the types of arrangements that have been proposed are found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,774 to Howell; U.S. Pat. No. 3,362,554 to Fortier; U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,083 to Meldahl; U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,139 to Malish; U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,796 to Hare; U.S. Pat. No. 3,198,357 to Shelby; U.S. Pat. No. 3,187,912 to McKnight and U.S. Pat. No. 2,658,634 to Waller.
All of these devices are lacking in a number of respects, most notably in the strength and stability of the frames which attach the back mounted implement to the tractor hitch. Relatively long and thin mounting arms are unsatisfactory because they do not exhibit the necessary strength when heavy loads must be raised and considerable leverage is thereby applied to the frame, resulting in the exertion of substantial stress on the arms. The proposed devices are further characterized by complicated mechanical linkages and lever arrangements which increase their cost and complexity and detract from their reliability. Considerable time and difficulty are also involved in attaching the device to the tractor hitch and detaching it when the tractor is needed for other work.
The present invention is directed to an improved mounting arrangement for attaching a bucket or other implement to a three-point tractor hitch. It is the primary goal of the invention to provide a mounting frame which exhibits greater strength and stability than the devices that have been proposed in the past.
More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a back mounted implement having a frame which is strong enough to readily handle a full load while being maneuverable enough to manipulate the load as desired. The unique manner in which the frame is constructed, with a pair of sturdy beams formed from steel plate and connected by cross braces and a connecting plate, makes it considerably stronger than the previously proposed devices. The frame is constructed to permit the bucket to be raised high enough to deposit the contents over a fence 8 feet high. At the same time, the bucket can be maneuvered as required by the tractor hitch and by an added power cylinder that serves to load and unload the bucket.
It is another important feature of the invention that the frame is particularly well reinforced and strengthened at those areas of maximum stress, such as where it connects with the tractor hitch.
A further object of the invention is to provide a back mounted implement that can be quickly and easily connected to and disconnected from three-point tractor hitches of various styles.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a back mounted implement of the character described which is constructed in a simple and economical manner without the need for expensive specialized components.
Other and further objects of the invention, together with the features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course of the following description.